Stack the States

Stack the States
By Dan-Russell Pinson

About the App

The object of the game is fairly simple. You are asked various questions about the 50 states including capitals, state shapes, abbreviations, bordering states, location on the map and even nicknames. If you choose the correct state, you get to actually pick it up, move it, rotate it and place it wherever you want. Your goal is to carefully create a stack of states that reaches the checkered line.

Every time you complete a level you earn a random state. As you try to collect all 50 states, you can always check your progress on your personalized map of the US. All of the states you have earned appear on your map in their correct locations. As you earn more and more states, you start unlocking the three included bonus games: Pile Up, Puzzler and Capital Drop.

Bonus Game: Pile Up
Pile Up becomes unlocked and playable after earning 10 states. The object of Pile Up is to remove all of the states before they pile up to the top of the screen. To remove a state, simply tap the state shape whose name is displayed at the bottom of the screen.

Bonus Game: Puzzler
Puzzler is the second bonus game in Stack the States and is unlocked after earning 25 states. The object is simple, move the displayed state shapes around and put them together like a jigsaw puzzle. Puzzler is great for teaching and reinforcing the relative locations of the states.

Bonus Game: Capital Drop
Capital Drop is the third and last bonus game in Stack the States. The object of the game is to match the states with their capitals. When you see a match, simply tap the capital box and the state shape in any order and they fly away. The game ends when a state falls off the bottom of the screen. Match as many states with their capitals as you can.

My Thoughts

I first had the privilege to review the Stack the Countries app a while back.   That app was based on Stack the States which was one of the first apps that Dan-Russell Pinson has done.

Let me clarify something.   I am not an American.  In fact, I was born and raised in Canada.  Still live there as a matter of fact (even though I changed province).  Still I believe it is important for my kids to know the geography of our closest neighbour – the United States of America.   As a homeschooling family, we have the liberty of travel whenever we want and the US is so close by that we visit at least every year.   I want my kids to know the states of that country.    I also strongly believe in knowing your geography.   Even though you might not use it much when you are older, at least you can visualize where something happens when you watch the news.

My son Dominic played with this app.  He is seven years old.   He was laughing a lot when he would won a state to stack as the characters have big googly eyes and would open their mouth while falling down.    Dominic is learning while playing this app.   When you win a state, you have the possibility of twisting it to stack it on the platform.  Mind you this game is asking more than the name of the states.   It always challenges you on capitals, shapes, abbreviations, bordering states, location on the map and nicknames.   So want or or not, your child (and even yourself) will learn quite a bit on the US states.

The game is quite easy.   You answer questions about the states and you win a state to stack.  You objective is to reach the special live in the screen.  If you do this by answering correctly to a number of questions, you win a state for your personal map.    When looking at your states, you can see where they are positioned on the map.   Learning while having fun is the key I find.   

Once you have won a certain number of states, new games will be available to you.  

Stack the States is a fun game that will challenge you in learning at the same time as having fun.    Don’t be discourage if at first you have trouble.   I know I was challenge quite a bit with this app.   I would recommend this app for anyone who want to learn more about the US states, American or not. 

Stack the States is available for 0.99$ on iTunes.  A lite version is also available for free. 

Disclaimer: I received the app for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.